Wagon-box-adjusting device.



1. scHuss` WAGON BOX ADJUSTING DEVICE.

APFLCTION FILED NOV. 6, 95 9 l 96,297 Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E`-E a7' x u 4 a@ j l l 8 it TO al? I WW @L 18 k2/I9 y 5j 5N@ 11 f Hf@ f la )5 1w@ v5 i s /y 4@ 1e G I@ A {Ummm/V601 l J o H N 5 c H u Ss I. SCHUSS.

WAGON BOX ADIUSTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1915.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gwuautoz JOHN 5c Huss JOHN SCHUSS, F ALBANY, MINNESOTA.

WAGON-BOX-ADJ'USTING DEVICE.

Application filed November 6, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SoHUss, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Albany, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vagon-Box-Adjusting Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved wagon box adjusting device and has for its primary object to provide simple and easily operated means for raising or elevating the forward end of a wagon box or body whereby the contents may be dumped or discharged from the rear end thereof.

The invention has for a more particular object to provide a supporting bolster provided on its opposite ends with vertical stakes or standards, adjusting screws rotatably mounted in said stakes, members to travel upon said screws and connected by a box supporting bar, and manually operable means for simultaneously rotating the screws.

It is an additional object of the invention to simplify and improve mechanism of the above character whereby the same may be readily applied to various types of wagons at minimum expense, theV device as a whole being extremely durable in its construction, as well as highly reliable and efficient in practical operation.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the upper end portion of one of the vertical stakes; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the stakes illustrating the means for attaching the same to the end of the bolster; Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of the bolster; and Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the vertically movable wagon box supporting members.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates the bolster which is adapted to be substituted for the ordinary wagon bolster and, at its opposite ends, the upper face of this Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

Seria1 No. 60,007.

bolster is recessed, as at 6, to provide the vertical shoulders 7 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

8 designates the vertical stakes or standards, each of which is formed with a longitudinal bore 9 to receive an adjusting screw 10. The lower end of this screw is reduced in diameter, as at 11, to receive a washer 12 which rests upon the bottom plate 13 of the stake 8. The extremity of the portion 11 of the adjusting screw is threaded to receive a nut, said nut being threaded against the bottom plate 13 but not sufficiently tight to prevent free turning movement of the screw 10. Each of the stakes 8 is provided upon its lower end with a channel-shaped shoe 15 projecting laterally therefrom, which is adapted to receive one of the reduced ends of the bolster 5, the inner side of the stake 8 abutting against the shoulder 7 of the bolster. The bolster is secured in the shoe 15 by means of a plurality of transverse bolts, indicated at 16, passing through said bolster' and the side plates of the shoe.

Each of the stakes 8-is formed in its inner side with a vertical slot 17 which communicates with the bore 9 of the stake. An internally threaded sleeve 18 is engaged upon the adjusting screw 10 and is formed with a laterally extending arm 19 which projects through the slot 17. The terminal of this arm is cylindrically formed and upwardly disposed, as indicated at 20. The sleeve may be readily inserted within the stake through an opening 8 therein.

21 designates a wagon box supporting bar which is provided in each end with a socket 22 to receive the cylindrical stud or projection of one of the sleeves 18.

The upper end of each of the adjusting screws 10 projects above the top face of the stake 8, and upon the same a pinion 23 is secured in any suitable manner, as by means of a suitable key. Upon a. stub shaft 25 fixed in the outer side of the stake 8, a gear wheel 26 is loosely mounted to rotate, and the teeth of this gear wheel mesh with the teeth of the pinion 28. Upon the stub shaft 25, a bell crank lever 27 is also loosely mounted and carries a gravity pawl 28 which is pivotally mounted upon one end of the lever and engages at its free end with the teeth of the gear 2G. This pawl is provided with a finger piece, indicated at 29, whereby the position of the same with respect to the lever arm may be readily resoY versed to dispose the pawl upon the teeth of the gear 26 so as to impart a Vrotative movement to the adjusting screw 10 inthe desireddirection. The other arm of each ofthe bell'crank levers 27 is of tubular form and provides sockets for `the reception of the extremities of an operating rod V30. The lintermediate portion of this rod extends transversely of theJ wagon body adjacent to the drivers seat so as to be within convenient reach without requiring that the driver shall descend from his seat.

lVhen the wagon Iloody is in its normal position of rest and the supporting bar 21 is disposed upon the upper surface of the bolster 5, the sleeves 18 are, of course, disposed on the lower ends of the adjusting Y is formed at its 81 extending in- 7 and these rearms 19 of the rescrews 10. The bolster 5 opposite ends with recesses wardly from the shoulders cesses accommodate the spective sleeves.

' In the operation of the invention, when it isdesired to elevate the forward end of the wagon box so that the contents thereof may be dumped, the operating rod 30 is vertically moved up and down so as to oscillate the levers 27 upon the shaftsl 25. The pawls 28 on said levers being properly disposed so as to transmit rotation through the gear 26 and pinion 23 to the respective screws to rotate the latter in the proper direction, the sleeves 18 on said screws, together with the body supporting bar 21 connecting the sleeves, will be raised or elevated, the arms 19 of the sleeves moving freely in the slots 17 of the stakes. Thus, the forward end of the wagon body can be quickly elevated to any desired height so that the contents thereof will move by gravity from the rear open end of the wagon. Then it is not `desired to employ the adjusting mechanism, the bolster V5, together with the wagon stakes 8 and operating mechanism for the adjusting screws, can be readily removed and the ordinary wagon bolster substituted therefor.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have produced a very reliable and positively operating mechanism for raising the wagon body, and one Vwhich may be applied to various types of wagons without necessitating any material alterations in the construction thereof. When it is desired to return the wagon body to its normal position, it will be understood that the pawls 28 are simply raised and their positions upon the gears 26 with respect to the lever arms, are reversed. While I have disclosed the preferred construction and mounting of the vertical stakes and adjusting screws, together with the wagon Copies of this patent may be obtained vfor Ybody lifting mechanism, it is to be understood that the relative arrangement of the several parts as well as the form and proportion thereof, may be considerably varied in accordance with the particular type of wagon to which the device is applied and the particular purpose for which the vehicle is employed. I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in these particulars as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. The combination with a wagon bolster, of hollow vertical stakes, a channeled shoe fixed to each end of the bolster to which the respective stakes are fixed at their lower ends, the upper surface of the bolster adjacent to each stake being recessed, each of said stakes being provided with a slot in its inner vertical wall, adjusting screws mounted in the stakes, a sleeve threaded upon each screw and having an arm projecting outwardly through the slot in the wall of the sleeve, said arms in their lowermost positions seating' in the recesses in the upper face of the bolster, the outer wall of each stake being provided with an opening for the insertion of said sleeves within the stake, a wagon body supporting bar detachably connected at its ends to the arms on said sleeves, and manually operable means for rotating the adjusting screws. 2. The combination with a wagon bolster, of vertical stakes fixed upon the opposite ends of said bolster, adjusting screws rotatably mounted in the respective stakes, each of said stakes being provided with a slot, sleeves threaded upon the screws and having arms projecting laterally through said slots each provided with an upstanding stud, a wagon box supporting bar detachably engaged at its ends upon said studs, a pinion fixed upon the upper ends of the respective adjusting screws, a gear journaled upon each of the stakes and meshing with the respectivo pinions, manually operable means associated with each of the gears to rotate the same and impart a rotative movement to the adjusting screws, and an operating member connecting said manually operable means to operate the same inV unison whereby the sleeves are caused to travel upon the screws and elevate the wagon box.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, JOHN SCHUSS. lVitnesses ANDREW PETERNELL,

J oi-IN KRAKER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o1' Patents,

Y I Washington, D. C. 

